The Cities That Make Strangers Feel Like Locals (And the Results Will Surprise You)
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Some cities have a way of making you feel like you belong there before you've even unpacked. A new global study has just named the places that do it best, and the results are not what most Americans would expect.
A recent report from eSIM provider Holafly set out to find the most welcoming cities on earth, and the methodology goes far deeper than vibes and word of mouth.
The researchers examined 200 cities, drawing from both the 100 most visited destinations in the world and the 100 most populous urban areas.
Each city was assessed across a range of factors that directly shape how at home a traveler feels: safety, visa accessibility, English proficiency, social support infrastructure, tourism services, LGBTQ+ equality, and online search volume for terms like "friendly" and "welcoming."
The data is current through June 15, 2026.
The outcome is a ranking that challenges a few assumptions, particularly for American travelers who may default to Europe as the obvious answer.
Singapore Takes the Top Spot
Singapore came first with a score of 81.83, and the gap between it and second place is significant enough to suggest it's in a category of its own.
The city-state is already known for being extraordinarily easy to navigate, but the data adds weight to that reputation. Its safety score came in at 77.7, and travelers arriving from more than 160 countries can enter without applying for a visa in advance.
On top of that, 41 tourism and information services are available to visitors, which means practical help is rarely hard to find.
For first-time visitors to Southeast Asia, Singapore functions almost like a soft landing, delivering a high level of accessibility and comfort while still offering a genuinely distinct cultural experience.
London Holds Its Own in Second Place
London's second-place finish is less of a surprise, but the numbers behind it are worth noting. The British capital has 54 tourism and information services, one of the highest counts in the entire top 10.
It also generated 61,700 online searches for phrases associated with friendliness and welcoming atmospheres, reflecting both its global profile and genuine traveler appetite.
For American visitors in particular, the lack of a language barrier, the ease of navigating the transit system, and the city's long familiarity as an international hub all contribute to that sense of ease on arrival.
Sydney Rounds Out the Top Three
Australia's largest city came in third, supported by a safety score of 66.1 and strong marks for English proficiency. Sydney's outdoor culture and reputation for open, relaxed social interactions appear to translate into real traveler experience, at least according to this data.
Two American Cities Made the Cut
Boston and New York City both placed in the top 10, at sixth and seventh respectively, making them the only US cities to appear on the list.
New York City generated the highest volume of "friendly" and "welcoming" searches among the top 10, with nearly 70,000, which is a striking counterpoint to the city's reputation for being brusque. Whether that reflects reality or aspiration is a question worth sitting with.
Boston edged New York slightly in the overall ranking, likely helped by its compact layout, walkability, and concentration of international students and visitors who help keep tourism infrastructure sharp.
Europe Showed Up Strongly
Four European cities made the top 10. The Hague placed fourth, continuing the Netherlands' strong showing alongside Utrecht in eighth. Aarhus in Denmark closed out the list in tenth, reflecting Scandinavia's consistently high marks for social infrastructure and equality.
Hong Kong came in fifth, adding another Asian city to a list that, despite its global scope, leaned meaningfully toward cities in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.
The Full Top 10
- Singapore, Singapore -- 81.83
- London, United Kingdom -- 65.04
- Sydney, Australia -- 64.80
- The Hague, Netherlands -- 63.68
- Hong Kong -- 63.55
- Boston, United States -- 63.39
- New York City, United States -- 63.36
- Utrecht, Netherlands -- 63.13
- Penang Island, Malaysia -- 63.07
- Aarhus, Denmark -- 63.02
What This Means for How We Plan Trips
The scores across positions two through ten are remarkably close, clustered within roughly two points of each other.
That compression suggests these cities are genuinely comparable in how welcoming they feel, and that small practical factors, like visa requirements, the density of visitor services, or a city's LGBTQ+ infrastructure, can shift a destination up or down the list.
It also raises an interesting question about how travelers weight these factors when choosing where to go.
Safety and language accessibility tend to dominate travel decision-making, but social support, equality metrics, and the presence of well-resourced tourism services matter too, especially for travelers who are going somewhere for the first time or traveling alone.
Penang Island in Malaysia is arguably the most under-the-radar city on the list for American audiences, and its ninth-place finish suggests it deserves considerably more attention than it typically gets in US travel coverage.